Three weeks ago, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and 16 co-sponsors introduced
Senate Bill 20, the Prevention First Act, which would "expand preventive health care services that help reduce unintended pregnancy, reduce the number of abortions, and improve access to women's health care." It sets out to do what President Clinton promised--namely, to make abortion safe, legal, and rare.
I encourage you to read the 28 findings in Section 2 of the bill. They set out the real problem: Lack of access to reliable contraception and women's health care makes abortions and STDs more likely, as does abstinence-only sex education for teenagers. The findings are a thoughtful set of principles around which pro-lifers and pro-choicers can find common ground.
Now compare Senate Bill 20 with the Republican approach, which is to make abortion rare by making it illegal. The most far-reaching GOP proposal in the 109th Congress--so far--is House Resolution 552, which would define life as beginning at conception.
Here's the text of the resolution:
H.R. 552, A BILL
To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the 'Right to Life Act'.
SEC. 2. RIGHT TO LIFE.
To implement equal protection for the right to life of each born and preborn human person, and pursuant to the duty and authority of the Congress, including Congress' power under article 1, section 8, to make necessary and proper laws, and Congress' power under section 5 of the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Congress hereby declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Act:
(1) HUMAN PERSON; HUMAN BEING - The terms 'human person' and 'human being' include each and every member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including, but not limited to, the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.
(2) STATE - The term 'State' used in the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States and other applicable provisions of the Constitution includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each other territory or possession of the United States.
And now, the rogue's gallery: A list of sponsors--37 in all--of this resolution:
Hunter, Duncan [CA-52] (principal sponsor)
Akin, W. Todd [MO-2]
Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6]
Chabot, Steve [OH-11]
Davis, Jo Ann [VA-1]
Doolittle, John T. [CA-4]
Foxx, Virginia [NC-5]
Franks, Trent [AZ-2]
Garrett, Scott [NJ-5]
Gingrey, Phil [GA-11]
Green, Mark [WI-8]
Hoekstra, Pete [MI-2]
Hostettler, John N. [IN-8]
Johnson, Timothy V. [IL- 15]
Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3]
King, Steve [IA-5]
Kingston, Jack [GA-1]
LaHood, Ray [IL-18]
Lewis, Ron [KY-2]
McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11]
Miller, Gary G. [CA-42]
Myrick, Sue [NC-9]
Neugebauer, Randy [TX-19]
Ney, Robert W. [OH- 18]
Pearce, Stevan [NM-2]
Pitts, Joseph R. [PA-16]
Renzi, Ric [AZ-1]
Ryun, Jim [KS-2]
Shimkus, John [IL-19]
Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4]
Souder, Mark E. [IN-3]
Tancredo, Thomas G. [CO-6]
Tihart, Todd [KS-4]
Wamp, Zach [TN-3]
Whitfield, Ed [KY-1]
Wicker, Roger F. [MS-1]
Wilson, Joe [SC-2]